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A plea to western scientists from exiled dissident Valentin Turchin

Using structural, functional and spectroscopic investigations of a bacterial inward proton-pumping rhodopsin, Kovalev et al. reveal its molecular mechanism and show how proton wires mediate ion selectivity and direct proton transport through cell membrane.

High-resolution (≤1.2 Å) structures of functional states of bacteriorhodopsin reveal the molecular mechanism for generating a membrane proton electrochemical gradient, a key event of cell bioenergetics driving ATP synthesis.

Rhodopsin genes have been identified in some large double-stranded DNA viruses, but the structure and functions of viral rhodopsins remain unknown. Here authors present crystal structure and characterization of an Organic Lake Phycodnavirus rhodopsin II (OLPVRII) which forms a pentamer and is a weak proton pump.

Cysteinyl leukotriene G protein-coupled receptors CysLT₁ and CysLT₂ regulate pro-inflammatory responses associated with allergic disorders. Here, authors describe four crystal structures of CysLT₂R in complex with three dual CysLT₁R/CysLT₂R antagonists, which shed light on CysLTR ligand selectivity.

The Na⁺-pumping KR2 rhodopsin from Krokinobacter eikastus is a light-driven non-proton cation pump whose mechanism of pumping remains to be understood. Here authors solved crystal structures of the O-intermediate state of the pentameric form of KR2 and its D116N and H30A mutants, which sheds light on the mechanism of non-proton cation light-driven pumping.

Analysis of 273 ancient horse genomes reveals that modern domestic horses originated in the Western Eurasian steppes, especially the lower Volga-Don region.

S1P₅ is a sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) receptor implicated in immune and neurodegenerative disorders. Here, authors report a crystal structure of the S1P₅ receptor in complex with a selective inverse agonist, revealing an allosteric subpocket and shedding light on inverse agonism in S1P receptors.

Crystal structures of the microbial rhodopsin KR2, a recently discovered light-driven sodium pump, reveal the translocation pathway of sodium ions and shed light on the molecular mechanism of ion pumping.

Nucleocytoplasmic Large DNA Viruses (NCLDV) that infect algae encode two distinct families of microbial rhodopsins. Here, the authors characterise two proteins form the viral rhodopsin group 1 OLPVR1 and VirChR1, present the 1.4 Å crystal structure of OLPVR1 and show that viral rhodopsins 1 are light-gated cation channels.

Channelrhodopsins (ChRs) are primary tools for precise optical control over living cells. Structures of a viral ChR, OLPVR1, in closed (1.1 Å) and open (1.3 Å) states reveal the key details of its molecular mechanism.

Here, the authors present four high-resolution structures of SyHR protein from cyanobacterial anion pumps family: chloride and sulfate bound forms and two active state structures. These structures provide insights into the molecular mechanisms of SyHR and cyanobacterial anion pumps in general.

Proteorhodopsins act as light-driven outward proton pumps mainly at neutral and alkaline pH, however, mirror proteorhodopsins are known to operate only at acidic pH. Here, the authors report the detailed structural and functional characterization of pH mirror proteorhodopsin SpaR as well as its diverse biological roles.

Zabelskii et al. present a structural and functional analysis of the lightdriven proton pump LR (Mac) from the fungus Leptosphaeria maculans. Their findings indicate that the archaeal ancestry of eukaryotic type 1 rhodopsins, and that the archaeal host of the proto-mitochondrial endosymbiont was capable of light-driven proton pumping.

Noble gases are known to interact with proteins and can be good anaesthetics in hyperbaric conditions. This study identifies argon and krypton binding sites on membrane proteins and proposes as a hypothesis that noble gases, by altering protein/lipid contacts, may affect protein function.

Geochemically relevant [C₄O₁₀]^4- pyramids are the most polymerized high pressure carbonate units, with Mn-, Cd-, Ca- and Ba-based structures reported to date. Here, the authors synthesized an Fe-carbonate featuring [C₄O₁₀]^4- anions with a predicted high-to-low-spin crossover at unusually high pressure near 95 GPa.

Crystal structure predictions have proposed the existence of polymeric H2CO3, but its high-pressure polymorphism has yet to be confirmed experimentally. Here, the authors synthesized single crystals of polymeric H₂CO₃ in a diamond anvil cell and demonstrated that its structure consists of polymerized \({[{{\rm{CO}}}_{4}]}^{4-}\) tetrahedra forming chains along the c-axis.

Yaroshevich et al. present a chemical reaction mechanism of a 35-kDa blue light-triggered photoreceptor, the Orange Carotenoid Protein (OCP). They find that photoactivation critically involves the transient formation of a protonated ketocarotenoid (oxocarbenium cation) state. This study suggests the role of charge-transfer states during OCP photoconversion.